ADHD Anti-Depressant Medication

People with ADHD often have depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder. They may take an anti-depressant to manage their mental health, or other conditions, along with a stimulant for ADHD.

Doctors may prescribe an anti-depressant to treat ADHD symptoms if they think it may help you, although in New Zealand anti-depressants haven’t been approved by Medsafe for direct use with ADHD alone. This type of prescription is often the case where ADHD co-exists with depression and/or anxiety.

​​​​​​​ADHD anti-depressant medication side effects

Most people do not experience any side effects, or they are minimal.

Some, however, experience undesirable side effects from ADHD anti-depressant medication, which can include:

• trouble sleeping
• nausea
• constipation
• dry mouth
• sweating, and
• changes in sex drive.

​If this is the case, it's best to consult your specialist as this medication may not be the right choice for you.

Medsafe also warns about a connection between anti-depressants and a higher risk of suicide in adults ages 18-24, especially in the first one or two months. This warning generally only relates to those with depression, which is characterised by low energy. This connection is uncommon and only affects a small and specific group of those who take this medication. If this is the case, the prescribing specialist will need to monitor the patient more closely, and supervision to ensure safety is advised until the lifting effects of the medication come into effect for the first few weeks. 

​​​​​​​Anti-depressant medications to treat ADHD

Here's a list of the anti-depressant medication options used to treat ADHD in New Zealand.

There are other options available. Generally, other options are prescribed to treat ADHD and a co-existing condition(s).